The immense time barrier shrouded the entire island continent, yet it was not a total severance; people could still enter and exit freely.
While thousands of years swept across the land within the barrier, only a few decades had passed in the outside world. Yet, even in those few decades, countless Grand Travelers had fallen in their clashes with rivals.
Some defeated Grand Travelers were forced into the vast, open oceans. To a Tier 3 powerhouse, a single planet was not particularly large.
Soon,
They discovered this lost land.
The moment a certain Void Wanderer crossed the time barrier, he detected the massive disparity in the flow of time between the interior and exterior. His face instantly warped with shock.
"What happened to the time here?!"
Such a massive temporal divergence meant a staggering gap in the foundations of civilization and history between the two sides. No one knew what kind of powerful entities might have been nurtured here.
"A hidden realm?"
"Or a high-level artifact?"
The Void Wanderer hesitated, filled with uncertainty, but ultimately decided to set foot upon this land. The civilization here looked primitive; perhaps he could rise to power once again in this place.
At the same moment,
In hidden corners, legends unknown to men were quietly transforming into authentic history and civilization, preparing to descend.
Under the sun,
Amidst the vast yellow sands,
A caravan leading camels was trekking across the desert. While passing through a certain shattered ruin, someone picked up a stone slab engraved with ancient script.
"What does this mean?"
"It looks like an ancient language..."
"Lucerne Text?"
The sky.
The earth.
The wind swept across the shifting sands.
The distant sound of camel bells seemed to echo in their ears, drifting from the horizon. Traces of things that never existed in this world were turning into reality the moment they were perceived.
[Lucerne Text · The First · Primordial]
[Fragment: She came from the void, she is supreme and sacred, she governs all, she encompasses all…]
"..."
People recited the words upon the stone slab, anchoring a falsehood that never existed in this world to an era even more ancient than the Age of Gods and Kings.
"..."
[Lucerne Text · The Fifth · Throne of God]
[Fragment: She is god, she is supreme, she is monarch—the first monarch—ruler of millions of divine subjects, sovereign of the divine throne, lord of this land and this world.]
...
Using the Incantation of Lore, her majestic power flowed backward against the river of time. In that vast, ancient era, her spirit hung like a bright moon high in the sky, illuminating an infinitely grand divine throne.
The being upon that throne opened her eyes, reflecting the sentient beings of ten thousand generations. The images etched deep within memory leapt upon the river of time, becoming the truth of this world.
Her name,
Firenze.
History made real wandered down the river of time, using the Lucerne Text as its temporal anchor to manifest once more in this world—following the Age of Gods and Kings!
Whoosh!
The sea breeze brushed against a man's face. With golden hair as radiant as the sun, he led his horse by the reins, gazing at the boundless, infinite emerald waves before him.
Once, in a certain world, Mei had erased every trace of her existence. No one remembered her; no one knew her; she had never existed.
It was a more perfect world without her.
In that perfect timeline, there was no Firenze, no Twelve Knights, no unseen Monarch's throne, and Julius had never followed anyone.
Following the Dark Age,
He walked alone to the place called the end of the world. Before the surging waves of the ocean, there was no path forward, and he didn't know which way to turn.
It felt as if he had lost something all along.
Julius's answer was a sharp blade—a knightly longsword planted before him. This time, that person gave him the chance to choose for himself.
The knightly longsword was unfamiliar, yet inexplicably familiar. The moment Julius grasped the hilt, countless images flashed through his mind.
A segment of life etched into his very heart and soul.
A legend and epic shimmering within the vast expanse of time.
CLANG!
The sword sang softly.
Julius drew the blade. His gaze was as sharp and steady as it had been before—he was still the un-crowned knight who could topple a nation for his Empress.
His loyalty had never wavered.
The radiance of the scorching sun cloaked him like armor.
Julius dropped to one knee, presenting his blade.
"My Empress, your knight has returned."
...
Not just Julius; Mei gave every member of the Twelve Knights the chance to choose. To continue sleeping within the perfect timeline of her memories,
Or to swear fealty to her once again.
In the desolate mountains,
The rebel knight Hegram didn't hesitate to lift the battle-axe before him. He had never regretted swearing fealty to his Empress, nor following Firenze the Monarch.
To receive his Empress's gaze was enough.
No matter how many times he had to choose, he would make the same decision. He would willingly become the right hand of Firenze's throne, the Empire's Second Knight.
RUMBLE!
Lightning flashed.
The Third Knight, Gray, grasped his war-spear.
In the canyon,
The Fifth Knight, Camelo, the Son of the Wind, donned his knightly armor.
The Eighth Knight, Theaphilus, drove his chariot across the horizon. The Eleventh Knight, Tellugh, took up his longbow. Without exception, they all chose to swear fealty to Firenze the Monarch once more.
Among the Empire's Twelve Knights, Mei made a single exception—the only female among them, the Seventh Knight, Soma.
It wasn't because she was female; Mei never cared about that. It was only because Soma's life had been so far beyond her own control.
In the perfect timeline, Soma had not become Firenze's Seventh Knight, yet she still had no right to choose her own fate or freedom. To carry the weight of her family and the responsibilities of the era, she had no choice but to be a knight.
However,
She had always believed herself to be just an ordinary girl. She didn't think she possessed the talent or the right to carry the burden of her family and the age.
In the timeline of Firenze's rebellion, Soma had not found a happy ending.
Mei gave Soma another choice: she could emerge from her slumbering memories into the present world, freed from the responsibilities of her family and the era.
To be an ordinary girl.
Soma hesitated.
But the moment she grasped the sword and the glory and memories of the past flooded her mind, her resolve was instant. Without hesitation, she drew the sword symbolizing her status as one of Firenze's Twelve Knights.
The sharp blade sang a pleasant note, and knightly armor materialized upon the girl.
"I never believed I could carry the weight and destiny of my family and this era. I lacked the qualification and the resolve. However, if it is to swear fealty to my Empress, I would die a thousand deaths without regret!"
"I am willing to be the sword in my Empress's hand, and once again, I offer you my loyalty!"
She might have questioned her own talent and resolve, but she had never questioned Firenze the Monarch's right to rule, nor had she ever regretted being Firenze's subject.
If Firenze needed her, she would gladly be the sharpest blade in her Monarch's hand.
On that day,
Ancient stars appeared in the sky.
A longsword.
A battle-axe.
A war-spear.
Like falling stars, they tore across the horizon and struck the earth.
Upon the land, a majestic king was suddenly startled.
...
When the vast, ancient aura blanketed the earth and the heavens mirrored the starry sky, the people across the land were struck with awe, shaken by the magnificent sight.
"Is that the moon?"
"What an enormous moon!"
People everywhere stopped and looked up at the sky.
RUMBLE!
Across the desert, an unbelievable scene unfolded: the sand churned, and the boundless, infinite desert was transformed in an instant into a lush, vibrant oasis.
Birds circled above the oasis, and rivers crisscrossed the land below.
Suddenly,
The earth trembled.
Great rivers surged into the sky, flowing upward in a reverse waterfall toward the clouds, while grand palaces and structures erupted from the ground.
Trees rooted in the earth burst forth and drifted into the air, as if people could dance with the birds among them: the entire scene was like a waking dream.
The desert had become a vast, boundless kingdom.
Twelve streaks of light tore across the sky, descending before the throne and manifesting as the majestic forms of twelve knights, the Empire's iron wall, unbreakable.
But no one sat upon the throne.
The Firenze Empire.
Had descended.
"This... this is..."
A scholar, holding the stone slab engraved with the Lucerne Text, was trembling violently in disbelief: the kingdom recorded on the stone had arrived!
It was no longer just a legend.
It had truly descended into reality, right before his very eyes.
"The Firenze Empire!!"
According to the Lucerne Text, the history of the Firenze Empire was so ancient it predated the Age of Gods and Kings, it belonged to the era of true myth and legend.
"How could such a thing happen..."
The myth had arrived.
What an unthinkable event.
...
CLINK-CLINK-CLINK!
Within the vast and majestic palace, a great bronze tree with a metallic sheen grew countless branches, each bearing various weapons and artifacts.
Swords, spears, axes, and halberds.
Or wine cups and musical instruments.
Beneath the bronze tree sat a King, commanding without speaking, his expression cold and haughty. He was the most powerful and grand King upon the earth in this era.
Agal.
He was born to rule.
He had single-handedly established the vast Agal Empire. After discovering numerous remnants of ancient inheritances and divine artifacts from the Age of Gods and Kings, he had crafted the bronze tree.
He was undeniably a great King of this era, a ruler as arrogant as any god, and an intensely warlike one at that.
With the imperial capital, where the bronze tree stood, as its center, everything within a three-thousand-kilometer radius was the territory of the Agal Empire: none dared to invade.
Within those three thousand kilometers, under the authority of the bronze tree, any being that dared to challenge Agal would instantly be reduced to dust.
He had expanded his empire across six thousand kilometers on his own strength, declaring himself a being who had surpassed all gods and kings with his human form.
Arrogant.
Haughty.
"Your Majesty, please see this."
An official bowed and presented an item, not daring to look up or show the slightest disrespect. The hall was silent, so quiet even a breath could be heard; until the king on his throne responded, no one dared to move.
Agal's haughty expression was one of boredom, yet after taking the stone slab, he let out a rare, delighted laugh, the bronze tree's power cloaking him.
The ancient, obscure script on the slab was naturally understandable to Agal; he grasped the meaning of the Lucerne Text.
"The Firenze Empire?"
Agal's stagnant interest rippled; he grew increasingly intrigued.
"The first monarch? Sovereign of the divine throne, ruler of millions of subjects? Interesting... I wonder how much of the truth is recorded on this stone."
"If that's the case..."
"Then let me see your talent."
As he spoke,
The bronze tree behind Agal rippled with a faint vibration. A spear hanging from one of its branches trembled; Agal closed his eyes for a moment, then opened them with a grin.
"Found you."
BOOM!!!
Suddenly, the spear transformed into a streak of light and vanished in a flash, leaving behind a sonic boom and a shockwave that rippled through the air. Only after it had sped away from the palace did a deafening explosion echo from the sky.
The streak of light cut through the clouds, heading for the distant horizon.
With the Firenze Empire's grand descent, how could Agal not have noticed? Just because his empire stretched six thousand kilometers didn't mean his perception was limited to that.
...
Beneath the ancient stars,
The Firenze Empire.
"Insolent!"
Hegram, the Empire's Second Knight, sensed the approach. He turned toward the horizon, his voice laced with fury. Just as he was about to step forward, Julius acted first.
"I'll handle this."
A speck of cold light appeared on the horizon, and in an instant, it was right before them. The spear carried the momentum of a conqueror, with the power to pierce through a nation and traverse thousands of miles.
BANG!!!
In a heartbeat, a deafening explosion rang out, followed by a howling gale that swept out in all directions before finally subsiding.
Julius held the spear firmly in one hand, then took a step forward, hurling it back the way it had come: a return gift for Agal.
His voice remained steady.
"A token of my appreciation."
As one of the Firenze Empire's Twelve Knights, the core of his power was the Incantation of Lore. The wider the incantation spread and the higher the legend's status, the greater the power he could draw upon.
The Firenze Empire had now descended as a living myth. Its status was beyond question, standing far above the Age of Gods and Kings; there was no reason for it to be weaker. Each of the Twelve Knights was at least Tier 3, and Julius, as the head of the imperial knights, had already reached the Tier 4 realm.
Stopping a Tier 3 spear was, for him, a trivial matter.
The spear once again streaked across the sky, chasing the stars and moon.
A Transcender looked up and witnessed this; the power contained within that spear made his heart tremble, leaving him momentarily dazed.
"Are the gods at war?"
This Lost Land looked primitive and backward, yet it seemed far more dangerous than the continents across the sea. He felt a surge of intimidation.
If these "gods" weren't careful and failed to restrain themselves, this entire continent might be dragged into the ocean one day.
They didn't even know if there were Tier 4 elites on this battlefield. If there were, one could only hope they would show some mercy and hold back.
Otherwise, everything could go up in smoke in minutes.
To such beings, shattering a planet was as effortless as flicking ash from a cigarette.
If a Grand Traveler from outside the barrier met one who had survived the Age of Gods and Kings, the veteran would surely clap the newcomer on the shoulder with tears in their eyes.
There really is a Tier 4!
Sosion had slaughtered most of the gods and kings, but quite a few had successfully slunk away into the shadows. They remained low-key, possessing almost no presence.
BOOM!!!
The lightning-fast spear slammed into the bronze tree behind Agal. The bronze tree shuddered violently, and the spear settled back onto its branch.
A thin trail of blood ran down a scratch on Agal's cheek.
Yet, Agal grinned.
"Interesting."
It seemed his opponent had some talent; he felt a long-absent surge of hot-blooded excitement.
...
Beneath the ancient stars,
The Firenze Empire.
"Empress, how shall your subjects act?"
The Twelve Knights of the Firenze Empire stood guard around the throne. Julius petitioned for the Empress's command; since Firenze had manifested in reality, the Empress must have a purpose.
Though no figure sat upon the throne, the Twelve Knights knew their sovereign was watching. A majestic gaze seemed to descend, and a faint vibration appeared and vanished in an instant.
"Establish the destined fate of this world."
Immediately, a look of clarity swept through the eyes of the Twelve Knights. Some were struck with awe, their excitement burning like a fire in their gaze.
In the past, the Empress had never manifested her presence in such a way, nor had she ever proactively expressed her attention, as if she had never cared about the other knights' existence.
Only Julius had been permitted to petition the Empress.
But now, the Empress had personally issued a royal command. To the Twelve Knights, this was undeniably an immense sense of recognition and honor.
Their blood began to boil.
"We accept your command!"
Establish the destined fate of this world.
It meant guiding this era and world toward its predetermined future. Clearly, the Firenze Empire and the Twelve Knights, under the Empress's Will, were the instruments of that fixed destiny.
In plain terms: simply crush everything in their path.
On the road of seeking power, those who were not strong enough were not qualified to stand upon the stage of history. Julius and the others fully understood the Empress's command.
The mission of the Twelve Knights was to clear the weak from the stage, writing an Epic of grand proportions so that it might pass into Legend when this era became history.
These Legends would serve as the bridge connecting the past to the future.
The mission and Lore of the Twelve Knights were destined to reach far beyond the borders of the current age.
In the chronicles of the Firenze Empire, records of Julius leading armies were rare; instead, it was the Second Knight of the Empire, Hegram, who was known as the vanguard hero, a warrior who thrived in the thick of battle.
Hegram's weapon was a massive Battle-axe. His combat style was ferociously aggressive, and his personal martial prowess was second only to Julius among the Twelve Knights.
Under the scorching sun,
Across the vast desert,
Hegram raised his Battle-axe and delivered a thunderous strike to the earth. BOOM! The entire desert shuddered violently in response; yellow sand swirled into the sky, whipped into a howling Sandstorm.
As knights of the Firenze Empire, every one of them was a master of the Incantation of Lore. Drawing upon the Legends recorded in the Lucerne Text, Hegram manifested a scene from myth.
Within the swirling Sandstorm, silhouettes began to flicker. The rhythmic, unified thumping of marching feet shook the earth like a war drum. Battle standards fluttered in the gale, and the roar of cavalry intermingled with the wind.
An aura of cold slaughter enveloped the four directions.
Hegram lifted his axe and issued a cold command.
He had never felt such a surge of hot-blooded fervor. For the first time, the Empress had personally given them an order. This honor burned so intensely within Hegram that he was ecstatic.
He wanted nothing more than to flatten this entire land immediately and present it all to his Empress.
Atop a sand dune,
An army appeared.
The descent of the Firenze Empire had encroached upon the borders of many surrounding nations. A King, unable to tolerate such a move, had marched his forces toward Firenze.
He never expected to encounter such a blood-and-iron host midway.
As the Sandstorm subsided, the King reined in his horse, his pupils shrinking violently. He saw the cold glint of armored horses and spears; a massive legion had materialized before him.
Terror instantly washed over his face.
Hegram's expression was frigid.
"Sweep aside all enemies! Offer victory to our Empress!"
"Victory to our Empress!"
"Victory to our Empress!!"
Before the invading King's forces could even prepare for battle, they were swallowed whole by the Firenze host like a rampaging storm. The King, whose archery was as swift as falling stars and whose strength was formidable, had an arm severed by Hegram. Defeated and broken, he fled.
Julius, meanwhile, was even more clinical.
Among the Twelve Knights, his strength stood at the absolute peak. Even Hegram, who was a one-man army, would suffer defeat if he faced him.
The Left Hand of the Throne.
Commander of the Imperial Riders.
The Invincible Knight.
Son of the Sun.
...
These titles all showcased Julius's peerless martial prowess. He alone could topple cities and conquer nations; a single man capable of sweeping through a thousand-strong host.
Against those who coveted Firenze, he projected an unparalleled pressure and combat capability, single-handedly overrunning a dozen neighboring realms.
A lone warrior who pierced through a ten-thousand-man army and shattered city walls.
In a mere half a month, not a soul among the surrounding nations dared to encroach; they all submitted. In an instant, the prestige of the Firenze Empire echoed across the land, and the Twelve Knights became objects of awe and terror.
Only those who had faced the Twelve Knights on the battlefield truly knew how strong they were. Within the same grade, they possessed almost overwhelming power.
It was a power that turned fiction into fact: transforming Legend and myth into reality!
"If even the Twelve Knights possess such immense power, does that not mean their ruler, the Monarch of Firenze, stands even higher above them?"
Such words were spoken with a soft chuckle.
Agal climbed a towering, grand structure that pierced the clouds: the Great Column of Stars, a colossal monument he had built, claiming his feats and greatness far surpassed all gods and kings. He believed they should be etched into the very stars of the heavens and eternally praised.
Thus, he had constructed this wonder that touched the sky.
Night fell.
The stars shimmered.
From the Great Column of Stars, Agal gazed at the horizon, at a vast and desolate landscape. A holy radiance flickered in his golden eyes.
Hum—
Waves of vibrations rippled within the void.
The Great Column of Stars had been built through a specific ritual; it was not just a strange structure, but an altar that enhanced perception and spirit.
The phantom of the bronze tree emerged. Agal, with his royal arrogance, looked down upon the lands of Firenze, unmasking his will toward its ruler.
It had been a long time since he'd found a worthy adversary.
That return gift from before had left him in a state of excitement ever since.
Rather than the pointless slaughter of two armies, Agal preferred a duel of kings, a clash of individual martial prowess and grand power. However, he believed the return gift had come from the King of Firenze himself.
"Found you!"
Sensing Agal's blatant battle-intent, Julius remained composed. He looked up at the star-studded night sky, then turned and walked toward the intersection of heaven and earth.
BOOM!
A figure descended like a meteorite, manifesting as Agal. He had encountered Julius, who had come to answer his challenge.
But upon seeing Julius, he looked slightly surprised.
"A knight? Which of the Twelve Knights are you?"
Julius drew his sword.
"Julius."
Meeting Julius was clearly unexpected for Agal; that someone so powerful was merely a knight of the Firenze Empire made him even more intrigued.
"You've descended with the presence of myth and Legend. What is your purpose?"
Julius spoke bluntly.
"To establish the destined fate of this world."
At those words,
Agal was first stunned, then broke into a loud, mocking laugh. "Hahahaha! What absolute arrogance! Then let me see if you actually possess the right!"